Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Luke 12:32-40
As I keep reminding you that we are at Sunday summer school, it is time to learn (hopefully) something new. We have had some great Gospel stories over the last few weeks: Jesus sent out the 70 ahead of him to find labourers for the harvest, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan which challenges us on what it is to give and receive mercy and consider who is our neighbour.
Martha and Mary had their lesson in balancing work and activity with the need to sit and listen at Jesus’ feet. The start of Luke 11 took us deeper into spending time with God as it started with Jesus at prayer. We reviewed the Venture Week stories: Jesus and the first disciples, the blind man and Zaccheaus the tax collector. All changed by encounters with Jesus in the way they needed to be changed.
We are taking a little detour this morning into the Letter to the Hebrews and its 13 chapters tucked at the back of the New Testament. Hebrews features for the next three weeks so it is good to do some digging.
The letter to the Hebrews is something of an oddity in the New Testament. The author has never been confirmed and the audience is unknown. Who were the Hebrews? A new church, a group of people in a city somewhere? Is this a letter or a series of sermons? There is extensive reference to the Old Testament, more than any other New Testament letter or Gospel.
The letter was likely written between 50-90 AD by someone who knew their audience and circumstances. The dating is important to understand that this was a new-ish Christian community who had broken away from Judaism. This can explain the Old Testament references. These are people who knew their Jewish history (1:1-14).
This community had been persecuted and some members had been imprisoned. They were generous to fellow Christians in need (10:32-34). Yet something is wrong in this community. The writer is telling the Hebrews to imitate its former leaders and get along with the current ones (13:7,17). This suggests they were inclined to go their own way. They were following ‘strange’ teachings (13:9) and had stopped meeting together (10:25).
Worst of all was that they had stopped growing as Christians (5:11-12). The writer accused them of lazy discipleship (6:12). He begs them to persevere (10:36), to hold on to hope (10:23) and to not drift away (2:1) or shrink back (10:37-39) in their faith.
What is going on in this community?!
It was incredibly difficult for people in the early church. They were being persecuted for turning their backs on the Jewish faith and religion; at the same time as trying to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus.
Temptation would have been great to give up. Is that our temptation too? When things get hard and do not turn out as we would like or think they should, give up to get out?
The writer is trying to stop the Hebrews from giving up by pointing them towards Jesus in three ways.
Importance of the OT
What do you think about the Old Testament? A lot of Christians struggle with it. They see it as not relevant, difficult to understand, it is violent, God is mean, misogynistic and distant and does all sorts of terrible things. These are common arguments!
However, the Old Testament reads more like this: it is the story of a people who messed it up completely. Repeatedly. For centuries.
This is their simplified story: God called Israel to be his people over others. We do not know why. He provided in every way and loved them. In return, God asked that they love only him, be obedient to him and look after their neighbours. Israel refused. Either they could not or would not. They were unfaithful as they worshipped other gods, killed their neighbours, wanted to be like the other nations. So God punished them.
Yes the punishment was harsh and the consequences significant. Think for a moment of the justice system. Punishment is the consequence of doing wrong. We often hear stories of people being punished too lightly or getting off too easily. There are people on the other side working very hard to increase punishment, length of sentences. Both sides fill the news with stories. Disobeying God has consequences too.
Which side would we be on if we or someone we love were the ones being punished? Why am I willing for someone else to be punished far harsher than I would want for myself? The point is that following God, obeying God is a matter of life and death. There is reward and punishment. There still is. Jesus is the reward.
The Hebrews needed to hear their story again with the added ending that Jesus fulfills the prophecy and promises of the Old Testament. Jesus is the Messiah that is spoken throughout the OT. We catch glimpses of Jesus throughout. Jesus is the One that was promised.
‘Heroes’ of the Faith
Hebrews chapter 11 is often called the “Faith Hall of Fame” since it highlights the remarkable lives and achievements of those who lived “by faith” in the Old Testament. Indeed, the achievements of these faith-filled men and women are awe-inspiring.
However on closer inspection many of these people made some big mistakes along the way! These are the people who messed up. Imperfect people, like you and me, are used by God to achieve some amazing things. It is great that their faithfulness is being celebrated and not their mistakes. Otherwise they would not be all that heroic.
Just a few examples.
Rahab the prostitute. She is remembered forever as a prostitute. How would you like to be known for that?
Gideon was initially spineless and blamed God for his problems.
Samson got involved with the wrong women and ate stuff out of dead lions.
David and Samuel were both great men and leaders and both had serious issues in their roles as husbands and fathers.
They are all commended for their faith and/but they did not receive what was promised.
They all lived in faith.
They all died in faith. (v 13)
This really struck me – they died in faith. We only die in faith when we do not give up.
Faith
Faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In Luke’s Gospel the servants who put their faith in the Master’s return are blessed and rewarded. The heroes in chapter 11 were rewarded – for what though?
So what is faith?
For some people faith is a matter of creeds and doctrines; an intellectual exercise. To accept Jesus into my heart, to be “born again,” is to affirm a set of claims about who Jesus is and what he accomplished through his death and resurrection. To enter into orthodox faith is to agree that certain theological statements about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the human condition, the Bible, and the Church, were true.
Both Hebrews and Luke are pointing us in a different direction. People of faith, Abraham, Sarah, Issac, Jacob and the servants are described as those who set out for new places, wait for big changes and for the master to return. Abraham set out not knowing where he was going but he trusted God’s promises. They had a baby even when Sarah was way past child-bearing. The slaves were to be dressed and ready for action so that when the master arrived they were ready. Not sure for what. It will be unexpected and wonderful.
Faith described in these readings is not a destination. It is not a conclusion or a form of closure. Faith is a longing. Faith is a hunger and a desire. Abraham was pursuing his inheritance promised by God. Faith is taking the journey because God asks us to. It means a willingness to open our imaginations to new life and new joy even when we do not feel it.
It is through faith that the promises of God come. All of the heroes in chapter 11 lived and died with unfulfilled promises. If you have unfulfilled promises of God, you are in good company. We are part of something bigger. The biggest promise that God has ever made has been fulfilled. Jesus is that promise. He is the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
This is bigger than any broken or unfilled promise. The Hebrews needed to hear this. We need to hear this: something better has come and is coming again. It will be at an unexpected hour. We need to be ready.